Fatigue is a general sense of exhaustion or weariness that results in a lack of energy and enthusiasm. The primary symptoms of fatigue include feeling tired, lacking energy, losing motivation, and having no enthusiasm for anything. Fatigue Lawrenceville is the first stage in a progressive series leading to chronic fatigue syndrome. You may experience headaches, mood swings, memory loss, lightheadedness, and depression when fatigue sets in.
Fatigue is a symptom that, like pain, can have several causes. However, most cases of fatigue fall into one of two categories: physical or mental. The physical causes are fairly easy to diagnose and treat, while the mental ones are often linked to more serious conditions like depression and anxiety.
What are the symptoms of fatigue?
- Nausea or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Palpitations, either fast heart rate or slow heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or tightness
- Unusual weight loss or gain (more than 5% within a month)
What are the causes of fatigue?
Excess physical activity: People who engage in strenuous physical activities can become fatigued because the body has been working too hard and needs time to recover. This is especially true for people living in underdeveloped areas who have to do heavy labor without modern conveniences like air conditioning or electricity. These people experience physical exhaustion when living without these conveniences.
Mental stress: Mental stress can wear down the mind and body, leading to fatigue. This is especially true if the mental stress is long-term and unrelieved by time away from the situation, causing it, such as constant emotional abuse.
Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality: Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can lead to fatigue, as can sleeping too much, which is a form of mental rest. Sleep deprivation often results from jet lag or from not getting enough sleep at night.
Chronic stressors: Physical fatigue can be caused by acute or chronic stressors on the body. Acute stressors include intense exercise, stressful events, and severe infections. Chronic stressors include poor sleep due to insomnia or apnea, poor nutrition, and high altitude.
How is fatigue treated?
Fatigue is a physiological condition that can affect the body’s muscles, brain, and other systems. It can be caused by several factors, including illness or injury, a lack of sleep and rest, over-exertion during exercise, and numerous others. Fatigue may result in a person feeling tired most of the time, having difficulty concentrating and performing physical tasks, and even having headaches. In rare cases, it can be serious enough to prompt hospitalization.
To effectively treat fatigue, it is important to identify the underlying cause. Once this has been determined, there are several ways that medical professionals can address it. Depending on the circumstances, many non-drug options may be available for alleviating fatigue symptoms. These include taking steps to get more sleep or eat more regularly, drinking caffeine, doing light exercises such as walking, using certain prescription medications and supplements like naps or vitamin B12 injections, or seeing a counselor or therapist for counseling or therapy. If these measures don’t work, drug options like antidepressants may be prescribed to help with mood disorders that often coexist with fatigue.
Talking with your doctor about fatigue is crucial as it can be a sign of other medical problems. A variety of conditions can cause fatigue, so the first step is to make an appointment with your doctor or healthcare provider for a thorough evaluation. Even if you know what is causing your fatigue, it is important to have tests done and ensure it is not due to other medical conditions. If a certain medication or condition is causing your fatigue, treatment by Performance Pain and Sports Medicine experts may improve your energy levels.
